13 July 2016

The Camera Basics

Photography has always been a passion of mine even before this blog was born. My photographic journey has been a long one filled with many mistakes and trying to teach myself how to take a 'good' photo. Any time I participate in a Twitter chat or just scrolling through my feed I always come across a blogger struggling with their photography whether it's the angles, lighting or props. I am by no means a photography novice but it is something I really enjoy and want to share what I know with others who maybe struggle with their photography.

Photography is a massive thing in the blogging world and every blog you read has editorial style photography which seems impossible to match. I think photography can seem a lot more complicated than it actually is. When ever I get a compliment on my photography I always feel like it's nothing really that special and something anyone can achieve but it still seems a huge barrier within the blogging community. Over the next few weeks I want to share everything I know about photography and insight into how I take my photos. I will discuss everything from your kit, taking the image to editing and post production.

Today I am going to discuss your photography kit. Many bloggers today own a DSLR, they are so affordable and something which I think is worth the investment. I personally use a DSLR and wouldn't use any other camera for my blog but that doesn't mean something else works better for others. I currently own a Canon 700d which I have had since Christmas but before that I had a very basic Nikon d3000 which served me extremely well. The secret to your photography kit is the correct lens. I personally don't like or ever use the kit lens, I feel like it makes photos look a little plain and lacks the depth of field ( basically your blurred background) that a lens can achieve. I currently use the pancake lens with my Canon and previously used the Nikon 35mm lens. Now don't get me wrong a kit lens is perfect for some photography such as a flat lay and can work well with other photographic set ups but if you wan to add something to your photography wish list then it has to be a new lens.

SWITCH TO MANUAL MODE

If you own a DSLR and shooting in auto then you might as well not own it and use either your phone or a digital camera which will take the same quality images. Many people are scared to remove themselves from the auto button to manual. The idea that you have full control over the settings of your camera can seem a little scary but if it's broken down it's so easy. I shoot in manual and very rarely have to dramatically change the settings. Shooting in manual means that you have control over your aperture, ISO and shutter speed. All great ways to improve the lighting of your image and other benefits. Sound complicated? Let me break it down.

Your Shutter speed determines how fast your camera's shutter will open and close so the higher it is the clearer your images will be eg 1/1000 compared to a lower 1/100. It can also affect how bright your images are. If it is an extremely bright day then you will increase your shutter speed. I take most of my images inside so the shutter speed is always around 1/100 but playing around with your setting is the full proof way to know which setting is the best.

The aperture setting on your camera will be different depending on the lens you have. The lower your f.stop then the blurrier the background will be. This is a setting I never touch and always keep on the lowest which is f 2.8 as it suits the type of photography style that suits. Ultimately if you increase your aperture then your depth of field will become less blurred.

Lastly ISO which controls the amount of light that you let through your lens. 100 is the lowest and your most desired aperture as your images will be crisp and not grainy. The higher the aperture the more grainy your images will be, something which works well if done in the correct style. My aperture is always either 100 or 200 depending on the brightness of the day.

I hope this introductory post to my photography series proves helpful.
If you have any questions do let me know.
Next week I will be discussing photography lighting and how you can achieve the much desired bright airy photo.